Rejoice and be happy, remain positive and be at peace. This is what Islam teaches, for all God’s commandments aim to bring happiness to the individual. The key to happiness is in understanding and worshipping God. This worship serves as a reminder of Him and keeps us always conscious of Him and hence we stay away from evil, committing injustices and oppression. It elevates us to being righteous and of good character.
He loved his fellow Muslims and sought to fulfill their needs. He said, “To look after a Muslim family for a month, a week or as long as Allah Wills is dearer to me than to perform Hajj after Hajj; and a gift to be given to a brother of mine in (for the Sake of) Allah is dearer to me than a dirham to be spent in the Cause of Allah.”
Islam recognizes that human beings are the custodians of the earth and all that is on it, including vegetation, animals, oceans, rivers, deserts, and fertile land. God provides us with the things we need to survive successfully and flourish, but we are obligated to care for them and preserve them for future generations. In 1986, Prince Phillip, the president of the World Wildlife Fund, invited the leaders of the world’s five major religions to meet in the Italian city of Assisi.
Muslims believe that all members of humankind are able to reform; in addition they believe that the possibility of successful reform is greater than the probability of failure. This belief is derived from the fact that God has given humankind the means to reform, not once but over and over again right up until close to the Day of Judgment.
He was one of the most renowned tabi`een (the generation after the death of the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) and prominent figures of his time. He was a jurist and a scholar. He was a pious and devout person. He was famous for his eloquence, inspiring speeches, wisdom, asceticism, and deep knowledge. He is the revered tabi`ee and the scholar of the people of Basrah, Abu Sa`eed Al-Hasan Ibn Abi Al-Hasan Ibn Yasar Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy upon him.
It is a distressing fact that many great crimes have been perpetrated by individuals, groups, and countries in the name of Islam. When these atrocities occur, it has somehow become the norm to blame the religion of Islam instead of the perpetrators themselves. In 1987 when Sikh gunmen opened fire on Hindu bus passengers in India’s Punjab state, killing 38 people, the media did not declare the Sikh religion to be bloodthirsty and automatically condemn all Sikhs.
These are the ultimate benefits which man must enjoy in order to lead an honorable life. Indeed, all divine laws have commanded their preservation and prohibited anything that contradicts them. Islam urges its adherents to protect such necessities so that they may serve them well in the worldly life and the life to come and thus live in total peace and security.
This includes knowledge of the Qur’an and the Hadeeth as well as other types of knowledge. Men and women both have the capacity for learning and understanding. Since it is also their obligation to promote good behavior and condemn bad behavior in all spheres of life, Muslim women must acquire the appropriate education to perform this duty in accordance with their own natural talents and interests.
Groups of Muslims were patrolling the districts of Al-Madinah and outlying areas on the lookout for any strangers or anyone intent on causing trouble. One of these groups came upon Thumamah and apprehended him, but they did not know who he was. They took him to Al-Madinah and tied him to one of the columns in the mosque. They waited for the Prophet (Peace be upon him) himself to question him and decide what should be done. When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was about to enter the mosque, he saw Thumamah and asked his Companions: “Do you know whom you have taken?”
Love for his most beloved daughter and one of the best women who have ever lived in this world did not prevent the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from declaring that if she steals, he would cut off her hand. This is the true conception and realization of absolute justice; this is the true birth date of social justice that appeal to all people who have sound reason or pure hearts.